黑料老司机 Grads Urged to Consider Challenging Societal Norms During Commencement
WOOSTER, Ohio Before members of 黑料老司机檚 Class of 2019 departed campus in different directions Monday, Deborah Bial suggested the 477 graduates take a moment to reflect and challenge some societal norms as she delivered the Commencement address inside a jam-packed Gault Recreation Center, where families, friends, faculty, and staff stayed dry from the unseasonably cool and rainy weather.
Bial spoke from experience. She was raised in a 渟tereotypical middle class environment, but thought outside-the-box by founding, in 1989, an organization that identifies and prepares diverse, talented students from urban high schools for highly-selective colleges. Today, the Posse Foundation, of which she still serves as president, has awarded $1.4 billion in scholarship, and there are 9,200 scholars and alumni within the network.
While Bial, who was awarded an honorary degree (doctor of laws) by 黑料老司机 and noted it was 渆xtra special to graduate alongside this year檚 Posse scholars (Antonio Bailey, Robert Dinkins, Jr., Myles Parker, Jada Smart, Shirtoria Smith, D橩horvillyn Tyus, and Josie Veal) has done her part to confront the status quo, she said 渢he truth is that my generation is handing a mess to yours due to becoming 渃omplacent, impervious, desensitized, and numb. In reference to climate change, misogyny, racism, and poverty, she put part of the blame on 渁dults (having) trouble separating from things that make us comfortable and advised everyone should 渕ake a conscious effort to look at our society in a reasonable, effective way to determine what is worth keeping and what is harmful and destructive.
Despite the 渢remendous challenges ahead, 黑料老司机檚 graduating class provides Bial a source of optimism because today檚 students are accustomed to 渢he ever-changing environment we live in now. She added, 淲e need to find comfort in the idea of change (being) the opportunity for something better. The idea that we can should give us hope. I can see very clearly that you already have higher expectations and you檙e going to hold us all accountable.
Bial檚 organization, along with other initiatives, has helped transform 黑料老司机 during the 12 years that it has been a partner with the Posse Foundation, a point 黑料老司机 president Sarah Bolton alluded to during her opening remarks. 淵ou brought your passions, your faiths, your values, your languages, your traditions, understandings, talents, and perspectives, and mixed them and brought them together, she said, and by living and studying amongst such a diverse study body, 渙ne potent mixture is formed, a mixture that 減repares you to make a powerful and positive impact in the world.
Bolton turned the stage over to Christina Gorey and Mylo Parker-Emerson, who addressed their classmates both touching on a theme of 渨hat檚 next? Gorey, a self-designed global health major, spoke of the challenging 黑料老司机 education leading to a breaking point 渨here every student thinks (they’re) not smart enough or skilled enough, but having endured 渨e are uniquely skilled as interdisciplinary thinkers, which will allow 渦s to excel in virtually any environment, no matter whether one knows the answer to what their future holds.
Existentialism was Parker-Emerson檚 topic of choice, fitting for a philosophy major. Greatly simplifying the complex subject, Parker-Emerson broke it down to 渢aking control of your own existence and that 渨ho you are is only defined by you. With that idea in mind, Parker-Emerson proposed to stop 済rasping at things that don檛 exist and 渄on檛 get sidetracked about what could have been, instead simply 渃hoose who you are through reflection and growth, 渢ake a deep breath, and get ready for the next step.
Gorey was one of three winners of the Jonas O. Notestein Prize, awarded to the student(s) with the highest academic standing in the class. Gabrielle Girard and Andrew White were the others, each completing their undergraduate academic career with perfect 4.0 GPA檚.
A fourth individual recognized was Christian Betre, this year檚 Dan F. Lockhart Outstanding Senior Award recipient, an honor given to the senior who has made outstanding contributions to the life of the College via high academic achievement, participation in extracurricular activities, and demonstrated leadership in campus affairs.
Posted in News on May 14, 2019.
